


In the Valley Where the Faceless People Lie

by WingedChickadee



Series: Ten's Adventures of Misfortune (and maybe some not so bad adventures) [3]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Burning, Minor Body Horror, Nightmares, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-28 00:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13891911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingedChickadee/pseuds/WingedChickadee
Summary: A simple night under the stars with Ter turns for the worst. Ten is left watching things burn away in front of them.





	In the Valley Where the Faceless People Lie

The sky above them is a beautiful dark blue and purple with glittering stars. There is a light breeze and for once no snow during the usually chilly months around Noc. The only sounds in the air are distant insects and soft laughter coming from two people laying on their backs. One is pointing at the stars and saying something, then the other responds with a loud no. They are correcting what he said. The pointer has curly brown hair and eyes that the other swears are trapping the starlight in them. His laugh is like an angels melody and they keep laughing along with him. Even when what he’s saying is so stupid.  
“So you see there clearly is like giant animals in space, there has to be. Those pairs of stars look like animals Ten.”  
“Ter, no. There aren’t any animals that would be here on Earth.”  
“You’re absolutely sure?”  
“Yes!” They say with a giggle and they poke his cheek.  
He points at something with a large smile and they can’t help but stare at him this time. His dark green eyes are reflecting the stars and the moon. They notice small scars across his face, faint freckles that are almost unnoticeable in the moonlight. There is a small strand of his curly hair that has fallen just slightly into his face. There is the urge to simultaneously fix it and just mess with his fair. Ter finally notices the silence and turns his head to looks at the Guardian next to him.  
“What?” Ter asks while chuckling a bit.  
There is this look of confused innocence on his face and Ten just smiles. They never realized how just...pretty and handsome this man is. They always saw but never really. The way his smile is just so soft and kind. They...they may want to kiss him. Ten bites the inside of their cheek and turns their head to look back at the sky. It would never work. They’ve met other Guardians and they know that they will not die, not for a long time. It would be naive to think they’ll not outlast Ter.  
“Did I have something on my face?” Ter asks jokingly before he notices the change in Ten’s posture. Ter frowns and sits up on his elbow to look down at Ten, trying to meet their eyes.  
“What’s wrong?”  
Ten sits up themself and turns their back to him. The wind begins to pick up and the sounds of bugs disappear. They pull their knees to their chest to try to keep themself together as their resolve breaks. They don’t want to outlive their friends. They don’t want this.  
“Ten...” Ter whispers sadly as he scooches over to be next to the Guardian. “Talk to me?”  
Ten just bluntly states, “You’re human.”  
Ter’s eyebrow raises and he tilts his head. “Well yeah, and so are you. What’s the big deal?”  
“But I’m not!” Ten’s voice rises and their eyes snap to his. “I may look human but I’m not..not really. I’m going to outlast you all and then where will I be?!”  
Ter blinks and looks to his lap. He never really thought about that to be honest. He just...assumed Ten would stay there with them. That they would always be Ten. Because Guardians are so...Ten is the first one Noc has really known. He never thought that Ten might not be the same.  
“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it Ten.”  
“I-I don’t want to though! You guys are the people who took me in and I don’t want to lose any of you. I just wish you guys could stay with me...or that I could go with-”  
Ter interrupts Ten with a bone crushing hug. They try to speak again and he just shushes them by hugging them even tighter. Ten’s arms raise slightly to hug him back, but they hesitate. Tears well in their eyes and everything is just a bit overwhelming. They’re scared. The last thing they want is to lose Ter, or Desh, or Karath, or anyone from Noc. But they’re going to. Everyone there is going to die. People already have from fighting the Fallen, but so has some people from old age. Imagining Karath or Desh or Ter laying in a bed and just leaving them one night is so painful it hurts. They slowly wrap their arms around Ter and then start to cling to him as the tears well over.  
“Ten..when we die, you know we won’t leave you. Even if we’re dead, you’ll have us in your memories.”  
“But you won’t be here physically...you’ll be gone..”  
“Yeah, so, while we’re here with you let’s make the most memories possible. That way it won’t really feel like we’re gone. You know?”  
Ten nods and minutes pass with just the two of them holding onto one another. Ten starts to let go of Ter ever so slowly. They are not clinging to him, but, they still lay against him. There is a soft pressure against the top of their head. Did he? Their head tilts up a lot and they meet Ter’s eyes. The moonlight makes his face just glow. It’s like there is this halo of light behind him; illuminating him and his beauty and-what the hell are they going on about...  
Their eyes meet and the two of them just stare at one another for what feels like an eternity or two. There is a warm feeling in their chest, and a smile can’t help but form on their face. They’re happy. They feel utterly happy and content. If something came and struck them down in this very moment, well okay they would be sad but..they’re just happy. Ter smiles back at them, before glancing away for a split second. Ten wants to just lean forward and they want to hold him forever. Ter glances back with a shy expression.  
“Hey, uh, Ten...if you get mad at me. Let’s just..i dunno..”  
Ten doesn’t even have time to think, let alone respond, before Ter is leaning closer to them. His lips are suddenly on theirs and he’s kissing them. They hesitate for a bit, and then they kiss him back. Eyes close in happiness and they hold loosely onto his shirt. An infinity passes really slow and so fast at the same time. Then they pull back, eyes still closed.  
When the presence next to them vanishes, hazel eyes snap open in frantic fear. There is no one around them. Ter is gone. The sky is void of stars and the moon and the wind is picking up even more. There is no light source but they can see clearly. What the hell is happening?! Ten tries to stand up, but, finds that their legs are slowly being encapsulated in winding grass.  
“Ter?! Where did you go?!”  
They reach for where their knife is on their leg and the grass ties around their hand. It begins to curl up around their arm, pinning it in place. The grass and roots twist further and further up their body; reaching their shoulder and legs. The wind has picked up to a deafening roar. Silencing their screams and pleas for help. They swear there are voices. Distant but close. They need help desperately.  
As the plants reach their neck the voices become clear. Painfully clear. If they could their hands would be at their ears to silence them.  
“Help us!”  
“Ten please help us!”  
“Why are you just sitting there?!”  
“You could’ve saved us all!”  
“How could you have abandoned us?”  
Ter and Karath and Desh and Andal and so so many people. People they failed, people they let down, people they got killed in various ways. They want to shout back to them that they tried. They tried so hard to save them, to protect them. Ten’s mouth is open but the plants find their way rapidly to their mouth and silence the Guardian. They can’t breath. They can only see.  
The wind dies, and there is a sudden blinding brightness. With the brightness brings heat and a stinging smell. Smoke. There is smoke, and with smoke...fire. In front of Ten are their friends with various burns and blood wounds across their bodies. Illuminating them from behind is a raging fire. Ten can only stare as the fire gets closer, and as eardrum piercing screams join their friends’ accusations.  
They want this to end. Let the fire reach them too. Let it confuse them. They meet the eyes of Ter and just stare at him. There is a cold smirk on his face. His face is full of animosity and hatred, and it’s directed at them.  
He steps back into the fire, along with the other people in front of them.  
They watch the faces of their friend’s melt away as the fire begins to consume them all. The faces drip and melt into almost a melted wax look. The fire rises higher and higher as Ten’s muffled screams join the rest of the noises. They can’t breathe. They can’t see anything but the faceless people in front of them.  
A light snow falls, but they barely notice as the fire consumes them entirely. The people just staring at them with blank faces.  
~~  
They shoot forward in their bed, sweat dripping down their face. Zol hovers next to them to nudge their cheek.  
“Ten..?”  
Ten throws their blankets off and grips their hair. Breathing way to fast and uneven. The air smells faintly of smoke and clumsy frantic steps bring them to the window. It is thrown open but the smell of smoke and ash isn’t escaped.  
The Guardian falls to the floor and presses themself against the wall, sobs beginning to build. They just want to escape the smell, the nightmares. Sobs ring from the shaking Guardian, and Zol tries to help them calm down.  
The silent night is broken with the painful cries of a hurt spirit.


End file.
